Sewing machine



A. B. CLAYTON SEWING MACHINE Nov. 7, 1933.

5 Sheets-Shee't l Filed May 8, 1931 Lnmwrmw n um ww @www mw ww Jnl'ew679501@ Nov. 7, 1933. A. B. CLAYTON 1,934,259

SEWING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 7, 1933. A. a.CLAYTON SEWING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 7, 1933.A. B, CLAY-10N 1,934,259 A SEWING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1931 5Shets-Sl'ieet 4 Nov. 7; 1933. Y A. B. CLAYTON 1,934,259

SEWING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1951-- 5 sheets-sheet 5 f gwumtoz wma@ IPatented Nov. 7, 1933 y UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE SEWING MACHINEApplication May 8, 1931. Serial No. 535,953

7 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines, more particularly of thefeed-o'-arm type, and has for an object to provide simplified andimproved mechanism for actuating the feeding and loop-taking mechanismswithin the work-supporting arm. Another object of the invention is` toprovide the machine with a simplified needlethread controller ortake-up. A further object of the invention is to provide simplifiedmeans for the eiicient lubrication of the machine. The invention alsoaims to provide for the ready accessibility of the mechanism, forinspection, adjustment or repair.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

The features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby, willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front sideelevation of the machine with the work-supporting arm in verticallongitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the work-supportingarm. Fig. 3 is a detail view of an element of the louper-actuatingmechanism. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the machine at thelevel of the main-shaft. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a lever-elementof the feeding and looperactuating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view of an oil-pump with which the machine is preferablyequipped. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View through the machine frametransversely of the main-shaft.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a section on theline 9 9, Fig. 2. Fig. 10 is an elevation at the needle end of themachine toward which the free end of the worksupporting arm extends.Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11--11, Fig. 4, and Fig. l2 is avertical sectional view on the line 12--l2, Fig. 7.

The machine is constructed with a frame including the spaced hollowstandards 1 and 2 connected by the hollow bridge-member 3 the bottomwall of which bridge-member is extended across the standards 1 and 2, asshown at 3 and 3", Fig. 12, to form an oil-reservoir. The framecastingis formed at the top of the standard 1 with a forwardly extending hollowarm 4 from which depends a hollow vertical arm 5 to the lower end ofwhich is secured by screws 6 the hollow horizontal work-supporting arm7. Disposed directly above the free end of the worksupporting arm 7 isthe head 8 which projects forwardly from the standard 2 and supports thereciprocating needle-bar 9 and presser-bar 10 carrying, respectively,the needles 11 and presser- 60 foot 12. The presser-bar is engaged atits upper end by one end of a leaf-spring 13 the other end of which isanchored bythe pin 14 to the arm 15 extending rearwardly from thecover-plate 16 which is detachably secured by screws 17 to the 65Y upperend of the standard 2 and head 8. An adjusting screw 18 carried by anoverhanging arm 19 on the cover-plate 16 exerts the desired degree ofpressure upon the spring 13. Thus the entire presser-spring assembly iscarried by the remov- 'l able cover-plate 16 which is preferably seatedupon an oil-tight gasket 20.

Journaled longitudinally of and within the hollow bridge-member 3 in thefour alined bearings 21, 21` 22, 22, at the upper ends of the re- 75spective standards 2 and 1, is the main-'shaft 23 which is made in twoend-to-end sections 23e, 23b joined by the coupling sleeve 24. Thesleeve 24 is formed at its opposite ends with reduced taper-threaded andlongitudinally split portions 25 which are clamped upon theshaft-sections by the ring-nuts 26. The main body of the sleeve 24 isalso secured to the shaft-sections by setscrews 27.

The main-shaft section 23.a is formed with a crank 28 which is connectedby a pitman 29 to a lever 30 fixed to a rock-shaft 3l, Fig. 4, journaledat its opposite ends in bushings 32 in the head 8. The lever 30 haspivotally connected to its forward end a link 33, Fig. l0,4 the lowerend 90. of which slidably engages the horizontal pin 34 projectinglaterally from and fixed to the needlebar 9.

The presser-bar 10 has fixed to it a lateral arm 35, Fig. 1, carrying aroller-stud 36 which is 95' adapted to be engaged by the presser-liftinglever 37 fulcrumed at 38 on the side of the head 8. The rearward end ofthe presser-lifting lever 37 is connected by a link 39 to a crank-arm 40fixed to one end of a rock-shaft 4l journaled hori- 100 zontally in thestandard 2 and having fixed to its opposite end a crank-arm 42 which isto be connected by a pull-chain 43 to the usual presserlifting treadle(not shown). There is also provided the usual hand-operatedpresser-lifting cam-lever 44 fulcrumed at 45 on the side of the head 8and having a presser-lifting cam-portion 46 in engagement with aroller-stud 47 on thelever 37.

The feeding mechanism comprises a feed-dog tively series which islocated at the the loopers 73, as is desirable.

48 in cooperative relation with the presser-foot 12 and carriedby thefeed-lever 49 which is formed at its end remote from the feed-dog 48with a slot 50 slidably embracing the block 51 journaled on the stud-pin52 .xed in one side wall of the hollow work-supporting arm 7. Thefeed-bar 49 is supported between its ends by the vertical links 53 whichrise from one end of the primary feed-lift lever 54 fulcrumed at arm 7.

The primary feed-lift lever 54 carries at its other end a pivotallymounted block 55 which is embraced by the forked Aend of a secondfeedlift-lever 56 fulcrumed at 57 in the arm 7. The upwardly inclinedend of the second feed-lift lever 56 remote from the feed-dog 48 isconnected by a ball-joint 58 to the lower is connected at its upperendby a ball-joint 60 to the short arm 61, Fig. 7, of a three-armed lever(Fig. 5) fulcrumed on the cross-pin 62 at the upper end of thevertically depending arm 5. The three-armed lever referred to has anupwardly extending arm 63 which is connected by a ball-joint 64l to oneend of a pitman 65 the opposite strapped end of which embraces aballcrank 66 formed in the main-shaft section 23h. It will be observedthat the fulcrum 55 for 'the primary feed-lift lever 54 is disposednearer to the feed-bar-supporting links 53 than to the block 55 and thatthe fulcum 57 of the secrond feed-lift lever 56 is disposed nearer tothe block 55 than to the actuating link 59. In other words both levers54 and 56 have relalong power-arms and relatively short work-arms. Theselevers are compounded in relation and exert a powerful lift upon thefeed-bar 49 from a relatively small force imparted to the feed-lift link59. The two feedlift levers 54 and. 56 also permit of a reversal ofmotion of the link 59, whereby it moves upwardly to lift the feed-dogand downwardly to lower the feed-dog. This is of-special advantage incombnationwith the looper-actuating mechanism, as will be hereinafterdescribed.

The feed-bar 49 is given its endwise or feedand-retum movements by meansof a link-connection 67 with a crank-arm 68 fixed to the lower end of avertical rock-shaft 69 journaled in the vertical arm 5. The roc -shaft69 has fixed to its upper end a crank-arm 70, Fig. 4, which is connectedby the pitman 71 to the usual adjustable feed-eccentric 72 on themain-shaft section 23h.

-The thread-carrying loopers 73,-which cooperate inthe usual manner withthe needles 11 in the formation of stitches, are fixed to the rockingand sliding looper-shaft 74 which is journaled within and lengthwise ofthe work-supporting arm 7 in three alined bearings 75, Fig. 1. Fixed tothe looper-shaft 74 between two of the bear,- ings 75 which ateVrelatively close together is a crank-arm 76 which to the third arm 78 ofthe three-armed lever 61, 63, 78 previously referred to. A single crank66 on. the main-shaft thus operates to advance and retract the loopers73 and raise and lower the feed-dog 48. .'Ihe crank 66 actsupon asinglepitman 65 in the upper forwardly projecting' arm 4 to rock thethree-armed lever 61, 63, 78

juncture of the Iraniearxns 4 and 5 and operates through thetwo links 59and- 77 in the vertically depending arm 5 to simultaneously raise thefeed-dog 48 and advance This simple mechanism for transmitting thenecessary motions shaft 74 is formed 55inthe` end of. a link 59 whichVrock-shaft is connected by the link 77' to the feed-dog and loopers fromthe main-shaft through the three angularly related hollow arms of afeed-oif-arm sewing machine is a feature of the present improvement.

The hub of the crank-arm 76 on the looperwith an end-face 79, Fig. 3,which is spaced from the end-face 80 of a collar 81 also fixed to thelooper-shaft. These endfaoes embrace a block 82 pivotally carried by ato its upper end a crank-arm 85, Fig. 4, which is connected by a 'pitman86 to the looper-actuating eccentric 87 on the main-shaft; `theeccentric 87 giving to the loopers their sidewise components of motionor so-called needle-avoiding movements. It will be observed that theupper forwardly projecting arm 4 houses only three simple pitmen 71, 86,65 which transmit all of the necessary motions to actuate `the feed-dogand loopers; simplicity being one of the chief aims of the presentimprovement. The three bearings for the louper-shaft, two of which areclose to and on opposite sides of the crank-arm 76, prevent whipping orspringing of the loopershaft-under high-speed operating conditions. Acounter-weight 88 applied to the hub of the three-armed lever 61, 63,78, satisfactorily balances the mechanism to which it is connected andgreatly reduces any tendency of the machine to vibrate.

'Ihe needle thread controlling mechanism comprises the "needle-threadtake-up guidebracket 89 mounted on the needle-bar 9 and needle-threadcontrolling or take-up lever 90 fixed to the rocking fulcrum shaft 31 towhich the needle-actuating lever 30 is fixed. There isy also a.slack-thread controller-arm 91 fixed to a 92 to which is also xed an arm93 having a forked endembracing a lateral stud 94 fixed to thepresser-bar 10. The course of the needle-threads n is indicated by thedash and dot *lines in Fig. 7.

The louper-threads run from the louper-thread tension devices 95 to theusual guides 96 associated with the louper-thread take-up cam'97 xed onthe main-shaft; thence through the looper-thread guide-troughs 98 andinto the work-supporting arm 7 through which they extend to the loopersthrough the slot 99 in the side wall of the'arm 7.- 'Ihe looper-threadtake-up deviceis covered by the cap 100, Fig. 11, hinged at 101 to swingupwardly and expose the usual twoarmed guide 96 which may be swungoutwardly about its pivot. 102 for convenience in threading. The spring103 holds the -guide 96 yieldingly in working position:

'I'he lubricating system comprises the oil-' sump 104 for d by theclosed bottom of the horizontal bri e-member 3 and the bottom walls 3and 3" in the standards 1 and 2. Oil is raised from the sump through theintake pipe 104x by'nieans of a hand-pump104 operated by the handle 105on the piston 106 anddischarged through the pipe 105' into the elevatedreservoir 106' from which it runs by gravity through the conduits l107to the various bearings to be lubricated. An overflow pipe 108 connectsthe reservoir 106( to the sump 104. 'I'he hand-pump 104', intake pipe104x, and discharge fpipe 105' are in the form of a unitary assemblycarried by the plate 105x which closes the aperture 105" in the hollowsewing machine frame. By unscrewing the plate 105x from the frame, theunitary pump assembly including the pipes 104x and 105' may be removedfrom the machine. The pump 104' need be operated only at infrequentintervals,

say once or twice a day. Oil may be drained from the sump by removingthe plug 109 between the standards 1 and 2.

The top side of. the upper forwardly extending arm 4 is closed by theremovable cover-plate 110 to the opposite ends of which are hinged at111, 112 the respective trap-doors 113, 114 which carry the knobs 115,116 by which they may be opened for access tothe operative connectionsof the mechanism within the arm 4.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:-

1. A feed-oif-arm sewing machine having, in combination, amain-supporting standard, an upper forwardly projecting arm joined atone end to said standard, a depending arm carried by said forwardlyprojecting arm, a horizontal work-supporting arm carried by saiddepending arm, a main-shaft journaled in said main-supporting standard,a reciprocating needle operating above the free end of saidwork-supporting arm, a rocking and bodily endwise movable feedbarmounted in said work-supporting arm, a rocking and bodily endwisesliding looper-shaft mounted in said work-supporting arm, an eccentricon the main-shaft and connections operated by said eccentric for rockingthe feed-bar and looper-shaft, a second eccentric on the main shaft andconnections for sliding the loopershaft, and a third eccentric on themain-shaft and connections for moving the feed-bar bodily endwise.

2. A feed-oif-arm sewing machinel having, in combination, amain-supporting standard, an upper forwardly projecting arm joined atone end to said standard, a depending arm carried by said forwardlyprojecting arm, a horizontal worksupporting arm carried by saiddepending arm, a main-shaft journaled in said main-supporting standard,a reciprocating needle operating above the free end of saidwork-supporting arm, a rocking and bodily endwise movable feed-barmounted in said work-supporting arm, a rocking and bodily endwisesliding looper-shaft mounted in said work-supporting arm, an eccentricon the main-shaft and connections operated by said eccentric for rockingthe feed-bar and looper-shaft, a second eccentric on the main-shaft andconnections for sliding the looper-shaft, and a third eccentric on themain-shaft and connections for moving thefeed-bar bodily endwise, thesaid connections with the three eccentrics including three respectivepitmen extending within and lengthwise of said forwardly projecting arm.

3. A sewing machine having a frame formed with a main-supportingstandard and a hollow arm free at one end and at its other end joined tosaid standard, said arm including an upper forwardly projecting portiona depending portion and a lower horizontal work-supporting arm propen afour-motion feed-dog and a four-motion looper mounted in the lowerwork-supporting arm, a three-armed lever fulcrumed in said hollow arm atthe juncture of the upper forwardly projecting and depending portions, amain-shaft, an actuating eccentric on the main-shaft,apitinan-connection between said eccentric and one arm of the three-armedlever for rocking the latter, a second arm of the three-armed leverbeing connected to the feed-dog to raise and lower the feed-dog, and thethird arm' of the threearmed lever being connected to the looper toimpart loop-seizing and shedding movements thereto.

4. A feed-oif-arm sewing machine having a frame including a standard anda hollow crooked arm free at one end and at its other end carried bysaid standard, said arm including an upper forwardly projecting portion,a depending portion, and a horizontal work-supporting arm proper, arocking and sliding looper-shaft and a four-motion feed-bar disposed insaid work-supporting arm, a main-shaft in said standard, a looper onsaid looper-shaft, a feed-dog on said feed-bar, a reciprocating needle,means for rocking the looper-shaft to impart a loop-seizing movement tosaid looper, said means including an eccentric on the main-shaft and atrain of 10G connections from said eccentric to said loopershaft, andmeans for lifting the feed-bar including a pair of feed-lift leverscompounded lengthwise of the work-supporting arm proper and connected tosaid train of connections so as to be actuated to lift the feed-barsimultaneously vith the advance of the looper to seize a needleoop.

5. A sewing machine having a frame formed with a standard and a hollowoverhanging needleand presser-bar head having ',-anbpening in its upperwall, a presser-bar mounted in said head, a removable cover-plateclosing Said opening, a leaf-spring carried by said cover-plate andbearing upon said presser-bar, and an adjusting screw, carried by saidcover-plate for regulating the pressure of said spring upon thepresser-bar.

6. A sewing machine having a frane formed with a standard and a hollowoverhanging needleand presser-bar headhaving an opening in 120 its upperwall, a presser-bar mounted in said head, a removable cover-plateclosing said opening and formed with a rearwardly extending arm and anoverhanging arm, a leaf-spring bearing at its opposite ends upon saidpresser-bar and rearwardly extending arm, respectively, and'an adjustingscrew carried by said overhanging arm and bearing upon said spring.

7. A sewing machine having a -hollow frame including a needle-bar head,a needle-bar mounted in said head, a main-shaft, a crank on said shaft,a needle-bar actuating lever, a rock-shaft journalled in said frame,said lever being fixed to said rock-shaft, an operative connectionbetween said crank and lever, and a needle-thread controlling armdisposed exteriorly of said frame and fixed to one end of saidrock-shaft independently of said needle-bar-actuating lever.

ANDREW B. CLAYTON.

